Electrolytic cell



W. G. ALLAN ELECTROLYTIC CELL Sept. 8, 1925.

Original File'd Oct. 5, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 NIL VVv'ZZi 45. mm, By

1 flrm'emsy Sept s, 1925. 1,552,812

w. G. ALLAN ELECTROLYTIC CELL Original Filed Oct. 5, 1920 4 SheetsSheet 2 William Gflllaw,

Sept. s, 1925. 1,552,812

W. G. ALLAN ELECTROLYTIC CELL Original Filed 001. 5, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 l-@-I IIQ II l i I A; atmnug VVlliam Get/711mb,

Sept. 8, 1925. 1,552,812

W. G. ALLAN ELECTROLYTIC CELL Original Filed Oct. 5, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 5Q INVENTOR. flW/M/ 67. 4/43 Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,552,812 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. ALLAN, or ronoN'ro, ONTARIO, cANAnA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MEN'I'S, T JOHN P. soon, or TORONTO, oANAnA.

ELECTROLYTIC CELL.

Application filed October 5, 1920, Serial No. 414,896. Renewed August 8, 192% T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. ALLAN, a

subject of the King of Great Britain, re-

tion of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to electrolytic cells; and it has to do more particularly with electrolytic cells adapted for generation of oxygen and hydrogen from an aqueous electrolyte.

A principal object of the invention is the provision of a simple form of cell construction that can be assembled in installations of any desired number of cell units but that does not necessarily require an external conduit system for circulation of the electrolyte through the several electrode compartments, although the employment of a special circu lating system, external or otherwise, is in no sense precluded. A further object of the invention is to provide a self-contained cell unit wherein the evolved gases may be efliciently Washed and thereby freed of em trained electrolyte, such as caustic alkali, and then separately conducted. away from the cell unit, the water employed to wash the gases being then most advantageously employed as makeup water to replenish the aqueous electrolyte in the cell and to maintain a predetermined quantity thereof in the cell.

-With the above general objects in view, and some others which will be apparent from the description hereinafter, the invention consists in the combination of parts which will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating a practical embodiment of the invention, and will then be more fully pointed out.

The construction hereinafter described is more particularly adapted to electrolytic cells in which no circulating system common to all the cells is provided. As stated, however, it is not to be understood that the invention is restricted exclusively to cells of this type. In the drawings illustrating a a desirable embodiment of the invention in practical form, Fig. 1 is a transverse section through a cell unit, parallel to the diaphragm, on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a sectionat right angles to Fig. 1 on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view showing'several cell units connected in series;

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 illustrate details of the filling means and bubbler devices, in section.

ting a modification in which the cell unit comprises more than a single cell, and

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate divided by a transverse horizontal par-' tition or bridge piece 12 integral with the frame, into a bubbler and washer space above said partition, and an electrode space below of much larger size. Each of the said Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view'illustra frames is provided with a double peripheral flange 13, the component members of which are connected by transverse webs 14. Similarly each of the bridge ieces 12 is provided with a depending dbuble flange 15 having its component members connected by the transverse webs 16. ,The described arrangement aifords a strong rigid frame construction having plane vertical abutment or bearing faces on said flanges adapted for cooperation withone or more additional frame members of the same type. In a. single cell unit of the type herein illustrated, two suchframe members are assembled as illustrated in Fig. 2 with their vertical bearing surfaces in registry, and are secured together by any suitable means such as screws 17, provided with insulating bushings 17. Where the, cell unit is to comprise more than a single cell, a correspondingly greater number of frame members are employed. In such a construction the cells and the gas washing and collectin chambers,30-31 of each cell are separate by a cell plate 18 carrying an electrode on each side thereof, as shown in Fig. 8. It is to be understood, of course,- that there will be a plurality of ofi'take tubes from each cathode compartment and a plurality of ofltake tubes from each anode compartment. The space below the bridge 5 a plurality of small'passages 32, extending pieces 1201 the cooperating frames and 11 constitutes the cell proper which is provided with end walls 18. and 19, said end walls being secured to the non-adjacent v'ertical faces of the combined frame structure by any suitable means such as screws 20, and being insulated from the frame by interposed sheet insulation and packing 21. The screws 20 are insulated from said walls by insulating bushings 22. The space above said frames 12 is enclosed by end walls 23, 24, secured to the frame structure by suitable means such as screws 25.

The complete cell space below the bridge pieces 12 is centrally divided by the porous diaphragm 26, of asbestos or the like, into electrode compartments or half-cells 27 and 28, 27 being the anode com artment in this instance and 28. the catho e compartment. The diaphragm may be held in place in any suitable manner, but in the particular construction hereillustrated said diaphragm is I marginally clamped between the lower portions of the frame members 10, 11, and the bridge pieces 12. The space above the bridge pieces 12 is centrally divided by a partltion 29, which may be either of metal or of non-conducting material, into two gas washing and collecting chambers 30, 31, of which 30 is for oxygen and 31 for hydrogen in the present exam le. tween each electro e compartment and the cooperating gas washing and collecting chamber arranged thereabove is afforded by between the two chambers through the corresponding bridge piece 12, in conjunction with each of which passages is employed a bubbler device 33 of any suitable type tlat pre etermined depth below the level 34 of a body of water maintained in the gas washing and collecting chamber. In the present exam ple, each such bubbler device comprises an inner tube 35 provided with a flange or shoulder 36, said tube being threaded above and below said flange as indicated at 37 and 38, respectively. The threaded end 38 of said tube screws into the passage 32 on the upper side of the dividing wall or bridge plece 12; and an inverted bell member 39,

. provided with escape orifices 40, has its lower portion internally threaded as indicated at 41 to engage threads 37 of tube 35 so that the bell member may be detachably mounted upon said tube and surround the same. r

The passages 32 are of circular cross section and the aggregate fluid carrying capacity of said passages is greater than the capacity of the largest single circular conduit that the width of the corresponding compartment will accommodate.

Any suitable type of electrodes may be em ployed in the compartments 27 and 28. In.

Communication bewhich the present-example the anode 42 and catnode 43 are foraminous unipolar electrodes of wire mesh or fabric, and are structurally ported on the walls 18, 19, respectively, by

means of spaced studs 44 which space the ripheral frame flanges 13, being also separated from theformer by packing and insulating-material 45, and from the latter by packing and insulating material 46; each separate from the cell frames, being supsheet of which material may be in one. piece and may advantageously project. some distance beyond the outer edges of the clamping flanges, thereby providing a creepage .suiface of exaggerated length which minimizes the possibility of accidental short circuiting of the cell and arcing, due to leakage of electrolyte through the packed joint.

The gaskets 46 also pack the joints between the flange faces and the margin ofthe diaphragm, as shown in Fig. 2, the gasket edges desirably projecting beyond the. flanges around the entire periphery of the flanges for the reasons stated.

Each gas washing and collecting chamber is provided witlrgas oil'take means.v As the volume of hydrogen generated is twice that of the oxygen, hydrogen offtake means of approximately twice the capacity of the.

oxygen oiftake means are provided in the present specific construction, although the offtake means for both gases might be of equal capacity sufiiciently large to accommodate the hydrogen produced. As here shown, the hydrogen olft-ake means for each hydrogen collecting chamber comprises four of the chamber and connected by suitable conduit means, such as pieces of rubber hose or tubing 48, to connecting nipples 49 of the hydrogen header pipe 50 leading to a gasometer or other convenient place of storage or use. Similarly the olftake means for the oxygen collecting chamber 30 comprises two tubes 51 leading from the top of the chamber and connected by hose or tubes 52 and nipples 53 to .the oxygen header 54 eads to a gasometer or other place of storage. g i

As shown in- Figs. 8 and 9 the oxygen header 54* is of the same' diameter asthe hydrogen header 50, and the number of tubes 52, and nip les 51 and 53 are the same as those lea ing from the hydrogen side of the washing chamber.

Means are and in the embodiment of the invention illustrated herein, PI'OVlSlOIl is also made for 'offtake pipes 47 leading from the upper part rovided for supplying water i to the gas was mg and collecting chambers;

partments, thus returning to the cells any caustic alkali or other electrolyte Washed out of the gases in the Washing chamber, and also returning heat units to the cell chambers. In the present instance, a water supply tube having a funnel mou 56 is mounted on a block 57 of insulating material. which is supported in any suitable manner on the outside of the cell frame and is provided internally with a passage 55 from which separate tubes 59 and 60 lead into the upper-chambers 30 and 31, respectively, near the bottoms thereof. In each said chamber there is a pipe 61 having its open upper end at a height corresponding to the desired water level in the chamber and extending down through the (dividing escape of gas up through the pipe into thc washing chamber above.

Hydrogen and oxygen generated in the electrode compartments pass separately through the corresponding set of passages 32 and bubblers 33 into chambers 30 and 31 respectively, the gases being thorou hly washed and at least partially cooled in ubbling through the liquid 34, and going thence to the hydrogen and oxygen headers 50 and 54, respectively. Caust1c alkali or other electrolyte removed from the gases by the bubblers returns to the cell compartments with ,the feed water through pipe 61 as described.

It is to be noted that the arrangement of the gas washing chamber as an integral part of the cell frame enables direct'transfer of heat from the electrode chambers to the feed water through the heat conductive bridge members 12, thus ensuringeifective 'pre-heating of the feed water and econom- -ical operation.

To provide for conveniently flushing out sludge or sediment with a hose, or for draining the cells, pipe 63, normally closed'by valved couplings 64, may enter opposite edges of each electrode compartment at or near the bottom thereof.

Any number of the single cell units described can be connected in series or in parallel to provide a multi-cell generator. As shown in Fig. 3, cells may be connected in through an interposed spacing collar 66, for' example. Or, the cell units may simply be placed with their electrode plates or walls in direct contact, any member of the cell series being readily removed merely by moving it edgewise.

When the cell units are arranged as just above described, the plate 18 of. one unit and the plate 19 of the next adjoining unit will together act in the same manner as does that portion of the plate 18, Fig. 8, within the cell, and the gas washing and collecting chambers will be defined by the frame members and the plates 23, 24 and 29 as before.

Various modifications in detail are evidentlypossible within the scope ofthe invention, which is not limited to the specific structure illustrated.

What I claim is: 1. An electrolytic cell comprising cooperating members enclosing an electrode chamber and a gas washing and collecting chamber thereabove, a diaphragm dividing said electrode chamber into anode and cathode compartments, a partition dividing said gas washing and collecting chamber into oxy on and hydrogen compartments, and con uit means connecting said anode and cathode compartments with said oxygen and hydrogen compartments, respectively, and includmg; a plurality of bubbler devices arranged in each of said oxygen and hydrogen compartments.

2. An electrolytic cell comprising a pair of flat cell members, each closed on one side and 'divided interiorly by a substantially horizontal apertured transverse partition,

means holding said cell members assembled with their open sides adjacent and the liorithrough which gas coming fromthe cooperper compartment, and overflow means for conducting excess of liquid from eachupper compartment to the electrode compartment below.

'zontal partitions registering, a pervious 3. An electrolytic cell comprising the comi bination, with flat anode and cathode compartments separated by a diaphragm and of relatively small width transverse to said .partition dividing into two diaphragm, of separate compartments arranged respectively above said anode and cathode compartments, each of said anode and cathode compartments communicating with the corresponding compartment thereabove by means of a plurality of conduits,.a plurality of bubbler devices, one for each conduit, arranged in each of the u per compartments, means for feeding li uid to each of said upper compartments, an means for maintaining a predetermined liquid level in said upper compartments and for conducting excess liquid to said electrode compartments.

4. In electrolytic apparatus, a flat annular cell frame provided with a transverse parts the space within said frame, said partition being apertured to afford communication between said parts, ,in combination with bubbler means governing passage of gas through said partition.

5. In electrolytic apparatus, a flat annular cell frame provided with a transverse I partition dividing into two parts the space;

within' said frame, said partition being v apertured to permit passage of gas' therethrough, and liquid overflow means also connecting opposite sides of said partition.

6. In electrolytic apparatus, a flat annular cell frame having parallel flanges extending transversely therefrom, and crosswebs connecting said flanges.

7. In electrolytic apparatus, a fiat annular c'ell frame having parallel flanges extending outwardl therefrom and cross-webs connectin said anges.

8. In eictrolytic apparatus, a flat, annular cell frame having arallel flanges extending outwardly there om and cross-webs connecting said flanges, and a partition extending transversely between opposite sides of said frame, said partition also being provided with cross-webs. a

9( An electrolytic cell, comprising enclosing members forming a frame, and a brid e-piece extending between opposite mem ers and separating the area enclosed by the members into an electrode chamber and a washer chamber.

10. An electrolytic cell, comprising enmembers forming a frame, a transverse ridge piece extending between opposite sides of the frame and dividing the same into an electrode chamber below and a washer' chamber above the bridge-piece, means for admitting water to the washer chamber, there being openings in the bridge piece for permitting the escape of gas from the elecparallel flanges and connecting 11.. An electrolytic cell, comprising an annular frame member, said frame member bridge-piece and above the level of the water i in the washer chamber, a gas bell covering the tube and extending above the top thereof, there being openings in the bell below the I water level.

12; An electrolytic cell, comprising a rectangular frame, a bridge-piece extending across the framefrom side to sideand from end to end thereof to divide the space enclosed by said frame into an"electrode chamber below and a feed water and gas washer "chamber above, means for introducing water into the feed water and washer chamber, there being gas openings in said bridgepiece, means-cooperating with said openings to permit of the passage of gas from the electrode chamber and for preventing the passage of water from the feed water chamber, means for maintaining the water'in the feed water chamber at a constant level, means for delivering the overflow to the electrode chamber, the said bridge-piece being of. heat conducting material whereby combination, a plurality of cell frames marginally clamping a plurality of alternately arranged cell wall plates and diaphragms in proper spaced relation to form serially related cells each comprising an anode compartment and a cathode compartment, an anolyte ofitake manifold, a catho-lyte olftake manifold, a plurality of sets of anolyte set individually connecting' the upper part of an anode compartment to said anolyte manifold, a plurality of sets of catholyte ofltake tubes, each set individuall a cathode compartment to said catholyte manifold, and conduit means for returning electrolyte to the lower part of said anode and cathode compartments.

14. An' electrolytic cell comprising coconnecting the upperv part of operating anode and cathode compartments,

15. Electrolytic apparatus comprising, in'

combination, a plurality of flat cells, each comprising an anode compartment and a cathode compartment, assembled to provide an apparatus of the character described,

manifolds adjacent said cells, groups or sets of tubes connecting the anode compartments individually to one ofsaid manifolds and further groups or sets connecting the cathode compartments to another of said manifolds,

vthe tubes of each group or set entering its manifold radially and in substantially the same plane. Y c

-16. In electrolytic apparatus,a'manifold comprising a pipe provided with a plurality of. groups of nipples, said groups being spaced apart along its length and the nipples of each group being in substantially the same plane.

17. Electrolytic apparatus comprising a plurality of annular metal members and end closure members assembled to provide a substantially liquid tight casing, a plurality of electrodes and diaphragms supported within said casing in alternating arrangement to form cells through which current may be passed in series, and insulation substantially preventing flow of current except through Elie space within the annular casing memers.

18. Electrolytic apparatus comprising a plurality of annular metal cell frames assembled together and insulated from each other, in combination with end closure members, all held tightly together to form a substantially liquid-tight casing, and electrodes supported within said casing but structurally distinct therefrom.

19. An electrolytic apparatus comprising, in combination, a cell having cooperating parallel electrodes of substantial surface extent, an electrolyte circulatory system for said cell comprising a, set of oiftakes, said set being spaced apart in one direction of the extent of the surfaces of said electrodes, and the ofltakes in each set being spaced along said electrode surfaces in a direction transverse to said first direction of spacing.

20. Electrolytic apparatus, comprising a plurality of annular cell frames assembled together, end closure members, means for securing said frame and members together to form a substantially liquid tight box-like casing, and electrodes supported within said casing but structurally distinct therefrom. In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

WILLIAM G. ALLAN. 

